Liar, Liar
by Mort de L'oignon
Summary: Remember children, drink responsibly and keep in mind that snogging and/or seducing your sister under the influence of alcohol will have consequences that may not always desirable. Elsanna
1. Chapter 1

Greetings dear readers. Your support of this work is greatly appreciated and I tip my metaphorical hat to you. Appropriate gratitude will be expressed at precisely 3:27 am and arrive in the form of a small pink and orange box sitting by your bedside. Gently pet the box and refrain from alerting the authorities. Thank you.

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"Nooooo…I'm not-not..heh, you look preeettttyyy…"

Elsa groaned. Judging by the number of empty glasses, many of them of fallen over and rolling precariously close to the edge of the table, Anna had single-handedly demolished a good two thirds of the alcohol being served at the party. Or so it looked that way, she wasn't entirely sure. But taking into account how tipsy her sister was and the stifling stench of alcohol upon her person, Elsa was pretty sure her calculations were correct.

The guests had all left, much to the blonde's relief. She wasn't quite sure how she'd handle a drunken Anna as well as diplomatic greetings and relations. At least the redhead had had the decency to come tottering into her arms only after the party was over. Elsa grunted as she hefted Anna a little higher, wrapping her arm about the girl's slim waist. Had she always been so warm? Maybe it was normal for one's body temperature to spike up when they consumed too much alcohol. Half carrying and half dragging, Elsa collapsed as soon as she'd managed the journey to Anna's bedroom. Carefully depositing the girl to the ground, Elsa stood and stretched, moaning in relief as she pulled the tension from her aching muscles. Anna wasn't exactly light. Currently the redhead was giggling to herself and humming like an idiot.

Slinging one of Anna's arms about her shoulder, Elsa pulled her into a semi-upright position, unceremoniously kicking open her sister's door open.

"You weren't even supposed to be drinking Anna," she scolded. "What were you thinking?"

Anna looked at her with the utmost sincerity. "I wasn't," she replied. "I was too busy drinking." Then she collapsed into helpless giggles.

"Ugh."

Elsa tossed her upon the bed where the redhead sat, kicking her feet and giggling softly at her own joke.

"Honestly…" The blonde gently undid her sister's dress, obviously judging her too drunk to do so by herself. "No more drinking. At least not until your of age. And even then you're going to be doing so under my surveillance. Understood?"

"Yes mother…"

Rolling her eyes at the drunken reply, Elsa turned to leave. "Get some sleep Anna. There's no talking to you like this. Hopefully the hangover you'll be getting tomorrow will teach you a lesson about drinking."

A pair of slim arms wrapped themselves around her waist as she turned away and Elsa bit back a sigh of exasperation. Anna molded herself to Elsa's back, pressing her forehead against the cool skin of her sister's neck. It never ceased to amaze her how perfect the elder girl's skin was; white as porcelain as smooth as ice.

"You're perfect…" she murmured.

Elsa half-turned with a frown. "Anna, what-" She gasped as heated lips brushed themselves against the nape of her neck, sending a jolt of electricity surging through her veins. Turning about, she glared down at Anna. "What on earth was that?"

The redhead looked up at her through heavily-lidded eyes, her lips parted slightly. Despite herself, Elsa felt suddenly awkward and clumsy. Still, she maintained a haughty air of superiority and annoyance, determined to force her sibling back into bed. _And what will we be doing to her once she's in bed…_ Elsa flushed at the insinuations being whispered into the forefront of her mind, blaming the alcohol she'd consumed. True, she hadn't consumed much but it was a good enough reason for such ludicrous notions.

"Elsa…"

Anna's arms moved from her waist to wrap about Elsa's neck, pulling her closer, pulling her down so that she could press their foreheads together. The temperature in the room was definitely dropping, the girls' breathes mingling together in small puffs of white. Feeling more and more uncomfortable with the situation, Elsa tried to pull away, assuming a commanding tone.

"Anna, get back into bed right now. You've had too much to drink."

"Not until you come with me. I'm not going without you."

The sincerity in Anna's gaze was almost heartbreaking. It was also ridiculous that the very sentence that had been so touching now sounded oh-so-seductively wrong. Then again, when it had first been spoken, Anna had been wrapped in several layers of warm clothing, not dressed in a simple white slip that exposed entirely too much cleavage and staring up at Elsa with sinfully plump lips and bedroom eyes. Moving closer, Anna took advantage of Elsa's temporary stunned silence to ghost her lips over her sister's ear, pressing a soft kiss to the tender skin just behind her ear lobe. Elsa gasped, her hands involuntarily clenching Anna's waist and digging her nails in as she bit back a groan of pleasure. Almost in the same instant as she'd grabbed the redhead, Elsa pulled her hands away again as though she'd been burned.

"No no no no no…" She tried to back away, despite the fact that Anna was still attached to her like a limpet. "We are not doing this. No. You're drunk and insane. Get back into bed."

Anna sighed lightly, her breath sending chills down Elsa's spine. Pulling Elsa a little more snugly into her, she backed her sister up against a wall. She scanned Elsa's face, taking in the flushed cheeks and nervous gaze, cupping her sister's cheek with her hand. It felt nice against the heat of her palm, and Elsa unconsciously leaned into the touch. Smiling, Anna stood on tiptoes to whisper into Elsa's ear, her hand moving from the elder's cheek to trail a hot line down Elsa's neck and back up along her jawline.

"Are you going to punish me if I don't?" she breathed into a steadily reddening ear. The hand was travelling lower now, tracing the side of Elsa's chest to paint a line past her navel, creeping towards it's goal.

"Okay then!"

Elsa stood straight up, her voice unnaturally loud in the silent room. Anna's arms fell from around her neck and Elsa took the chance to escort the girl back into bed and tuck her in at a speed any nursemaid would envy. Hesitating momentarily, the blonde pressed a kiss to Anna's cheek, a little too close to her lips and a little too long to be considered strictly proper. "Nighty-night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!" She backed out of the room before Anna could grab her again and slammed the door behind her.

Letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in, Elsa pressed her back to the door, her knees faltered beneath her as she slid silently down to the floor. Rubbing her temples, she willed her rapidly beating heart to calm down from its rapid crescendo. That had been completely and utterly too intimate, her lips still tingling from the sensation of kissing Anna. It had been a kiss just like any other sisterly kiss, except this one had left a muddle of confused emotions swirling within her. As strength slowly flowed back into her legs, Elsa stood and shook herself. It was just the alcohol in Anna talking. Her own reactions were simply the byproduct of a long period of solitary confinement without any human contact. That was it. The queen trotted briskly back to her rooms, unaware of the door being pulled open ever so slightly and the pair of blue eyes that followed her progress down the hall. However, she was uncomfortably aware of the voice inside her whispering that no matter how many excuses she made for how she'd reacted to Anna's touch, none of them were true.

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Thanks for reading mates. Cheers eh?


	2. Chapter 2

Some people drink to forget. Some drink to remember. Some drink simply because they like it. Others are forced into it.

Elsa was pretty sure she was all of them. Or she would be sure except she wasn't entirely sure of anything at the moment. All she knew was that the world around her was a pleasant blur of fractured noises and images.

If you have stuck by up to here, I must thank you. My writing still has quite a ways to go before it reaches a respectable standard and I am eternally grateful for your support. The previous attempts to send thanks encountered some difficulties as the boxes to not take kindly to travelling overnight. As such, watch for the pink notes being slide under your door at 2:19 pm. Thank you.

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"Oy oy, c'mon laddie! Give us another song eh?"

Elsa complied gladly with the drunken request and clambered unsteadily onto the table-top. Tossing her head back and hoisting an overflowing mug of bitter beer into the air, she began to sing, her clear voice ringing out above the raucous laughter and cheering in the crowded pub.

"No no no no…this is really really bad!"

Kristoff fought to reach the girl. He tried calling out to her but it was all in vain. Elsa was beyond hearing. The burly blond was beginning to regret his part in all of this.

When Elsa had suddenly appeared at his cabin earlier with a beautiful sleigh made completely of ice, Kristoff had been so enamoured with the creation that he'd instantly agreed with all her requests. Of course, at that time he hadn't thought much of it; he just thought that the stress of palace life had finally gotten to Elsa and that she wanted to loosen up a bit. She'd even had a good excuse, that she wanted to observe the lives of her people from an angle that was inaccessible to her as a queen. He'd complied with her odd request to be disguised as a boy, helping her pull her braid apart into a messy ponytail and roughening her fair features with smears of dirt and soot. He'd been, of course, invaluable help. Elsa moved and spoke with a queenly, feminine grace. That was thrown out the window, swapped for the lazy swagger and rough speech of a young boy on the cusp of manhood. Her hands, so slim and pale had to be disguised, but there was nothing to be done about them except for her to dirty her nails by digging them into the hearth and donning a pair of finger-less gloves. Kristoff couldn't admit that it wasn't fun teaching the queen to act like more masculine, watching her stiff demeanor fall away bit by bit.

It had come with its benefits. The wonder in her eyes as she marvelled at the sights and sounds of the Arendelle was a sight to behold. Kristoff took her around, showing her all the things that she couldn't see as a queen.

There was the old lady who sold the best cheeses in all of Arendelle who pinched Elsa's cheeks and stuffed her arms with cheeses, remarking that 'he' would need the energy to run from all the pretty girls coming after 'him'. Elsa had blushed furiously as the woman cackled wickedly and Kristoff snorted loudly in amusement. He took her to the toymaker and his wife, watching in amusement as Elsa, in the guise of Eli, was set upon by their three children. They tugged curiously at Elsa's ponytail, bombarding her with questions. Kristoff had to pry Elsa from their hands with the promise to bring her back to visit them at a future date. Then came the blacksmith with his two hulking sons, each large as a bear, accompanied that day by his youngest daughter, dainty as a flower and capricious as a cat. She flirted mercilessly with the disguised Elsa, her grin widening as her target grew more and more flustered while her brothers rolled their hammers between hands the size of Yuletide hams and cracked their knuckles menacingly. Kristoff had taken pleasure in prolonging his talk with the blacksmith, ignoring the pleading stares Elsa was giving him as he took his own sweet time in commissioning a new ice pick.

"Tha' yer frien' Kristoff?"

The blacksmith's voice was a low rumble, tinged with faint disdain as he eyeballed Elsa from below bristling brows.

"Aye. His name's Eli. He's new around here. I'm just showing him around before he leaves."

"Hmph."

The man's tone was unimpressed.

"Too scrawny 'e is. Prob'ly coul'nt pick up a 'ammer even if'n it crushed 'im."

His gaze became positively murderous as his daughter began to trail her hands lazily along the lapels of Elsa's borrowed vest. Kristoff laughed nervously, sensing danger.

"Well," he said. "I'll come pick up the pick sometime in the next two days then eh?"

Grunting an annoyed confirmation, the blacksmith glared them from his shop. His daughter blew Elsa a kiss, flanked by her brothers who looked as though they'd like nothing better than to rip Elsa limb from limb.

"Bye Eli," she called with a sly wink. "I'd love for you to come again."

Polite to the very end, Elsa inclined her head ever so slightly and waved goodbye even as she quickened her pace to remove herself from the situation as fast as humanly possible.

"That," she hissed angrily. "Was way too close!"

Kristoff shrugged. Streaks of darkness painted the sky with a soft rosy pink acting as background. Elsa rubbed her temples.

"Take me drinking." she said abruptly.

"Eh?"

Glancing down at his shorter companion, Kristoff crinkled his nose in confusion.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to the palace? Anna will probably be wondering where you are an-"

"She won't," stated Elsa flatly, cutting off all room for argument. "Where's the nearest bar? Don't tell me there isn't one. I've heard the soldiers talk of one. Take me there."

Kristoff snapped his mouth shut with an almost audible click.

"Okay…" he muttered, steering Elsa down a side alley. Obviously there was something going on between the two sisters. While he was worried by Elsa's brisk treatment of the problem, it wasn't his place to question her decisions. As they emerged from the alley, drunken shouts and laughter floated into their ears from the large tavern in front of them. Kristoff grinned proudly as he gestured at it.

"The Drunken Reindeer," he said, puffing his chest out. "Best of the best here. The only place for good company and beer. The mead's choice too."

Elsa eyed it apprehensively, her emotions warring with the thoughts. She knew that her behaviour illogical and immature. What kind of responsible monarch would leave her most trusted advisor in charge for the day so that she could go on a 'business meeting'? At the same time, she just wasn't ready to face Anna. Ever since that fateful night of drunken seduction from her sister, Elsa had been experiencing more and more thoughts that confused and muddled her mind. They were distractions that she couldn't afford. _Is consuming copious amounts of alcohol really the best way to deal with this? Really mature Elsa._ The queen frowned, running a hand through her hair. Kristoff had insisted that she let the bangs fall more naturally instead of sweeping them back in her usual style. It would help hide her face better, he had said. Now she stood in front of a tavern filled to bursting with rowdy drunkards, bustling barmaids and bragging hunters that snagged at any passing female with muscled forearms. This was not the place for her. But she was getting desperate. Perhaps she could drink the memories of that night away. She doubted the wisdom and responsibility of her actions but surely one night of relief and fun couldn't hurt after so many years of reigning herself in. Kristoff was still looking down at her expectantly. Elsa could read the question in his eyes, worry for her and for Anna. She looked away, guilt gnawing at her insides. The man was a loyal friend but she couldn't quite bring herself to talk to him about this.

"Hey," he nudged her gently. "You alright? Perhaps I should bring you back to the palace. We could always have another night out on the town later."

He grinned at her, inviting the blonde to share his joke. Elsa replied with a weak smile. Inhaling deeply, she shook herself.

"No, it's fine."

Upon entering the tavern, the noise had nearly blasted her away. The smell of sweat mingled with alcohol and food to sting her sensitive nose. She glued herself to Kristoff's back, using him as a shield to shoulder their way to the bar. Two large mugs were slammed down in front of them. Elsa glanced at hers uncertainly.

"Wassamatter lad? Too big for ye eh?"

The bartender laughed, sizing her up.

"No bigger than a titch ye are. Better get ye somethin' smaller."

Cackling, he wiped the tabletop with a grimy rag, switching course to smack Kristoff over the head.

"C'mon boy, what's wrong with ye? Bringin' the little lad into a place like this? Scared stiff he is. Shame on ye."

Elsa scowled. Though the insults were in fun and she wasn't a lad at all, the man's words stung. The people around them had heard the bartender's loud words, turning to see what the problem was. They began to laugh, tossing their own mock reprimands at Kristoff for bringing the poor, wee lad into a place like this.

"This is a place for men, boy! Go home to your mother eh?"

"Aye aye, what're ye thinkin'? Dragging a pup like that to play with the wolves?"

Sensing her fury, the man stroked his beard and laughed.

"Oho, so the lad's gotta temper eh? Well then.

He topped her mug to overflowing and jerked his chin.

"Ye finish that little darlin' over there off straight wit'out knockin' out an' yer evenin's on me."

Kristoff's eyes lit up at the challenge. Elsa narrowed her eyes angrily. Grabbing the mug, she began to chug, the liquid spilling down her front. She fought back the urge to gag at the bitter taste, grimly drinking on until she slammed it back onto the table. Empty. The bartender looked at it, a thoughtful look on his face. The bar was silent for the briefest of seconds before bursting into cheers. Elsa yelped as she was hoisted bodily onto the shoulders of a cheerful hunter with a luxuriously curling mustache and beard of gleaming chestnut brown. Kristoff cheered along with the crowd as another mug of beer was shoved at the two of them by the laughing bartender.

"Looks like yer pup's got some fang after all. What's yer name eh pup?"

"Eli!" yelled Elsa from her bumpy ride along the hunter's shoulders. She just remembered to keep her tone low and rough to fit her guise as a boy. "My name's Eli!"

Her alias was taken up along the bar by many voices and a grin broke out on Elsa's face. A wave of alarm hit her as she suddenly realized how far from Kristoff she had become. Turning to look at him with a pleading look, she was surprised to have her alarm returned by a cheerful thumbs' up. A bawdy song about a man who was caught sleeping with his next door neighbor and his neighbor's wife by his own wife was taken up by a group of drunken sailors situated by the fire. Eyes wide, still unsure of what to do, Elsa mumbled timidly along. The hunter holding her up smiled at her, his teeth glinting in the light.

"Calm down lad." His voice was surprisingly light for a man of his size. It reminded her almost of her father for a moment. "It's all good fun here. You'll not be harmed."

Feeling more at ease by her new companion's reassurance, Elsa raised her voice, taking another swig of her drink. She pulled a face. It still tasted awful but it was more acceptable now. When the next song, one about a drunken man who had kissed a donkey, imagining the animal to be his wife came about, Elsa sang along.

The hunter glanced up at her in surprise. He picked her up with large hands and plopped her up a table. Elsa blinked at him.

"Say lad, you've a good voice. Sing a tune for us."

Heads turned. A new singer. This was news to them. Seldom were there new singers and rarely still were there new tunes. The chances of a good voice was almost unheard of unless it was from a bard.

Placed into the spotlight, Elsa looked at the expectant faces nervously. Still, feeling rather at home among the rowdy but obviously well-meaning individuals, she began to sing, her voice soaring around the smoke-stained rafters of the room. One song turned into two, two turned into three and soon she found herself singing in harmony with other members of the tavern, learning their bawdy tunes and teaching her own to them. Drink after drink was passed to her and she began to down them one by one. Her head was spinning and her memories began to fracture. Broken pictures flashed before her eyes; dancing a jig with a one-legged sailor, arm-wrestling with Kristoff, flirting with and kissing a blushing barmaid. Finally, she found herself being lifted bodily from her stage upon the table and carried out amid good-natured protests from the tavern's patrons.

Kristoff grunted as he deposited Elsa in the his sleigh. His own head was buzzing slightly but the man was nowhere as drunk as his companion. Elsa was chuckling quietly to herself, her clothes haphazardly hanging onto her slim frame. A bruise from some maiden was beginning to form upon her neck and red stains in the form of lips coloured Elsa's cheeks.

"Let's hope Anna will have better luck taking care of her than I will." he muttered. More importantly, he desperately prayed that the redhead wouldn't kill him for the part he'd played in her sister's drunken state.

Elsa blinked drowsily as the sleigh began to move.

"Wherrare we goin'?" she slurred.

"Back to the palace. You better hope that Anna doesn't kill you for this."

Elsa grinned lazily, propping her feet up on the front of the sled. She really did look like a boy, noted Kristoff with a bit of pride. He had done a pretty good job of disguising her.

"Anna won' be angry," she said carelessly. "She got drunk 'fore. An' she kissed m' an' tried t' get me t' sleep with 'er."

Kristoff cursed, jerking the reins sharply. Sven grunted angrily, looking back at him reproachfully.

"Sorry Sven." he mumbled absentmindedly. Anna had gotten drunk and tried to seduce Elsa?! This was news to him. No wonder Elsa had been acting so oddly today. It just wasn't like her to suddenly escape from work, even if it was only for a day. _An entire day and a night of drunken caroling. _Feeling a bit guilty, Kristoff kept a lighthearted tone as he questioned his passenger further.

"So you liked her kiss and seduction?"

"Heh, ye're havin' dirrrty thoughts eh?"

Kristoff rolled his eyes and remained silent. When Elsa next spoke, her voice was calmer and noticeably clearer.

"I did like it though," she murmured thoughtfully, almost to herself. "But I'm confused. I like having her touch me. Hugging and snuggling and cuddling. But those are things that don't need to be romantic to be enjoyed. Perhaps I liked her doing those things but that doesn't mean I like her romantically. It's all so confusing. She's my sister, though I haven't seen her in so long that it hardly feels that way. She's just someone I really really care for and treasure. She's the most important thing in my life. I don't want for that to be ruined. Anna was drunk. I don't think she's remembered any of the things that she did to me that night."

She fell silent. For a long moment, the only noise around them was the whistling wind and the soft crunch of the snow under Sven's hooves. Kristoff inhaled deeply.

"You know," he said. "I really think that you should talk to Anna about this. The two of you really care for one another and if you love each other in a romantic way, then who cares? You can't choose who you fall in love with. Don't think so much. Just feel. Your heart will tell you how you really feel about Anna."

He waited for Elsa to reply. Instead, Kristoff heard a soft snore. Elsa had fallen sound asleep. Scowling, Kristoff returned his attention to steering. Unknown to him, Elsa was still awake. She sat there with her eyes closed while Kristoff grouched about her falling asleep during his speech and thought for a long long while.

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Thanks for reading mates. Cheers.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter is set between the events of chapter 2 and chapter 3. As such it technically is more of a chapter 2.5 rather than a chapter 3 due to its shortness. As always, your audience is appreciated and thanked. Due to technical difficulties resulting from a messengers' strike, the pink notes have been discontinued. Please watch out for the small, black metallic spheres sitting in the smoking crater of your bedroom. Thank you.

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She was drunk. Stumbling into the palace on unsteady feet, Elsa fought to remain upright. Perhaps a wild night of drunken revelry at a popular local tavern was not the best idea. Yet Kristoff had been so supportive and the townsfolk were so merry that she had tossed away all her doubts and uncertainties, giving in to temptation.

Now Elsa could barely even stand, feeling her way along the halls and using the walls for support. A door handle encountered her fumbling hand and she tossed her weight upon it, tumbling into the room. Falling back upon a couch, Elsa groaned luxuriously, kicking her feet back and propping them upon the delicately carved wood of the chair arms. She giggled, thinking how she'd appear to an unknowing servant; a strange peasant boy with a matted ponytail and tousled clothing reclining upon a royal couch in a palace room. The thought was hilarious. Frankly speaking, everything at the moment was hilarious. Especially the picture of the strange lady staring down at her with a rather reprimanding expression.

"Wha'ssamatter with you?" demanded Elsa lazily.

Flicking her fingers at the silent figure, she sent a light sheen of frost speeding across the canvas to obscure its scolding gaze from sight. Grunting in satisfaction, Elsa began to hum, her eyes roving the room. Judging by the paintings surrounding her, this was most likely the portrait room. She frowned, wondering why it was so incredibly boring in the room. None of the portraits were even interesting.

"E-Elsa?"

"Hmm?"

A figure stood in the doorway to the room, clad in her nightgown. Elsa grinned lazily as she swung her legs off the couch to sit in slightly more upright position.

"Anna, my adorable little sis'. Nice ta see ya." She hiccuped, the noise sending her into another fit of giggles.

Anna wrinkled her nose as she edged towards Elsa. Her prim and proper sister looked nothing like her usual self. The redhead took in the disheveled hair, pulled from it's usual braid into a ponytail, the rough men's clothing, the finger-less gloves, the smudges of soot and dirt upon Elsa's face.

"You look…like a boy…" she said, standing just slightly out of arm's reach. Elsa smirked, winking at her sister.

"That's the point, oh sister mine."

Lunging suddenly, she snagged Anna around the waist, pulling the younger girl close to her in one fluid movement. Staring up at Anna through lidded eyes, Elsa licked her lips unconsciously. Since when had the redhead turned so beautiful? It was almost sinful. She traced Anna's face with a gloved hand, the rough fabric scratching slightly at freckled skin. Her grip around the younger girl's waist tightened slightly as she leaned in.

The proximity was intoxicating. Elsa smelled like mead, like alcohol, her breath chilling Anna's cheeks. She flushed, whether it was in desire or embarrassment the girl wasn't sure. All she knew was that Elsa looked horridly handsome in a rough kind of way and despite the waves of cold the had begun to flow about the room, Anna could feel heat pool between her legs. As Elsa leaned in to capture her lips, rough and demanding, Anna didn't fight back, leaning into the touch with a whimper of desire. She gasped as teeth scraped at her bottom lip, nipping sharply before soothing the pain with a swipe of tongue. Lazy hands brushed at her breasts, teasing the peaks, never lingering long enough for her to be satisfied. Anna whined as Elsa's lips left hers, the sound turning into a moan when they brushed at her neck, moving lower to bite hard, marking her. A leg made its way between her own, pushing hard at her center, fueling the growing flame that burned there.

"Elsa…" she pleaded.

The movements ceased as blue eyes met her own. "Anna." The word was a whisper, almost worshipful, tender and loving. Elsa looked suddenly nervous as she parted her lips, gently stroking Anna's cheek.

"Anna…I…"

The alcohol took its toll. Sentence still unfinished, Elsa's eyes fluttered shut and her head lolled onto her sister's shoulders as she began to snore gently.

If she wasn't worried about waking up the entire castle, Anna would have screamed in frustration. Here she was, in the middle of the night, flushed with desire and straddled across the lap of her sister who was dressed like a peasant boy. If that wasn't hard to explain, the princess wasn't sure what was. Sighing and biting back the urge to slap Elsa halfway across the kingdom, Anna hoisted the elder girl to her feet and began to drag her towards her room. The least she could do was to make sure her sister was situated safely in her own bed before she demanded some answers from her. It was going to be a long night.

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Thanks for reading mates. Cheers to all.


	4. Chapter 4

My most sincere apologies for taking so long to update. University and I had a brief exchange of passions and I simply lost track of time. As such, it took some time before I recalled that I actually had a life that didn't involve all-night studying sessions and endless essays. Here's the next chapter.

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Elsa awoke the next morning with a foul-tasting film plastered to the insides of her mouth. Clutching her head, she tried to remember the incidents of the night past a raging headache.

"Perhaps this will teach you to drink so much" said a dry voice. The words being spoken were familiar. Squinting, Elsa swayed from side to side, trying to bring into focus the figure sitting by her bed.

"Anna…?" she mumbled.

Her sister avoided her gaze, choosing to take her time picking through a plate of pastries and pour a cup of tea.

Elsa grimaced. Her memories slipped away, smoke on the wind as she tried to grab them. Concentrating what little energy she had on trying to recall the events of yesterday, the last thing she could recall was singing lustily, the cheers of a crowd and drinks being shoved at her from all be frank, the blonde wasn't even quite sure how she'd gotten back to the palace though she guessed that Kristoff had brought her back. Struggling, Elsa pulled herself into a semi-upright position.

"How…" Her head pounded, making it hard to think. Focusing, she forced the words past clumsy lips. "How did I get back? Did Kristoff carry me up here?"

"I don't know. I found you in the portrait room and carried you here."

"Oh." Elsa sensed a faint hint of anger bristling in the matter-of-fact tone. Treading cautiously, she hazarded a timid question. "Was I any trouble…?"

Anna met her eyes for the first time that morning.

"You really don't remember anything about last night? Anything?"

Elsa cringed. _Is it just me or did the room get a lot colder…_ "N-No. Is something wrong? Did I do something?"

Her sister's gaze never wavered, a scowl furrowing her brow. Panicking, Elsa sat up, headache forgotten. Terror flooded her veins. _Oh gods… _Possible scenarios flashing to mind, nightmares that scared her into wakefulness during the night, dripping cold sweat while she tried to push away images of all the people she loved and cared about, her mother, father, Anna pierced through with cruel spears of ice, the townsfolk screaming and running from her, grim-faced husbands and housewives bearing crudely constructed weapons and torches bearing down upon her. She locked her fingers into the blankets, fighting down panic. "Did I hurt you? Anna I'm so sorry, are you okay? I-"

Anna stood abruptly, her face flushed with anger and frustration. Barely managing to get words out, she clenched her fists tightly in her dress, containing the urge to throttle her sister. If anything, it was the desperate plea in the older girl's voice and the lazy spirals of frost that were beginning to creep over the sheets that kept her temper in check. If she was frustrated by Elsa's lack of memory, Anna could only imagine how terrified Elsa. The blonde was a bit of a pessimist; perhaps it had something to do with being locked away for 13 years. No doubt the elder girl was imagining some nightmarish vision of losing control over her powers and hurting Anna again.

Praying whatever deity that might be listening, Anna steadied her emotions. It wouldn't do to yell at Elsa.

She hadn't found it in herself to change her sister's clothes the night before. If she did, the redhead wasn't sure that she wouldn't jump the girl's bones right then and there. As it was, she'd simply heaved the girl into bed, positioned her into a semi-comfortable state and left the room as fast as possible. Never had it been so hard to sleep, trying to forget Elsa, trying to ignore Elsa, Elsa's lips, her hands, the heaving shudder of her chest pressed flush against her, the lips and teeth that assailed her skin, branding the freckled surface as Elsa's property. Anna had lain there, squirming and thinking of anything but the smoldering heat between her legs. The temptation to storm into her sister's room and force her to finish what she'd started was hard to resist. Her hand had crept between her thighs as she muffled whimpers and moans with her pillow, biting into the fabric to keep quiet as she reached her peak.

Now Elsa sat in the bed, her voice and face forcibly calm as casual, a state of mind betrayed by the faint tremor in her hands. Inhaling deeply, Anna sat back down, worrying her dress into tiny pleats. Exhaling her anger and frustration, she shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I'm fine. You didn't do anything much."

"Don't lie to me Anna," pleaded Elsa. "I did something horrible didn't I?"

A shadow flitted across her face. Her fists clenched tighter, mangling the fabric of the sheets.

"It was my powers wasn't it?" Her voice was hollow, empty. "Forgive me, it seems as though being a weapon of mass destruction is all I am good for."

The words, spoken with such self-hate, such mocking self deprecation broke Anna's heart. She just wanted to gather Elsa up into her arms and kiss away the pain, soothe the broken little girl that still hid under the facade of the all-powerful, invincible queen of Arendelle. Her hands twitched, every particle of her being desperate to comfort and soothe. But Anna held back. Her anger, selfish and unreasonable was still roaring away, snarling in defiance even in the face of Elsa's misery. She fought against it, pushing it down, forcing it to its knees.

"Elsa…"

Anna reached out towards Elsa.

"Don't!"

Elsa pulled away, panic flashing through her eyes.

"Don't…" she whispered, pleading, terrified. "I don't want to hurt you."

She took a deep shuddering breath, holding back tears. It was her own fault. How foolish she had been, drinking herself into a stupor, reaching a point where she couldn't even recall the events of the night before. Elsa bit her lip. Everything was breaking down around her at breakneck speed all because she'd tried to run away from her feelings, from Anna. Fat lot of good it had been. She searched Anna's eyes, wrapping her arms around her waist, hunched over as though expecting a blow.

"I'm sorry Anna," she pleaded. "I don't remember what happened last night but whatever I did I can assure you it meant nothing. I promised I'd keep you safe, and I'll keep that promise. As long as you're alright it's all that matters."

She hesitated.

"I'm not a monster…I'm not…I won't shut you out anymore. I promised. I promised…I'm not a monster…"

Her vision blurred as the words stuck in her throat, refusing to budge no matter how hard she swallowed. She'd come so far and now none of it mattered. One night of drunken revelry was all it took for everything she and Anna had accomplished to come crashing to earth; the hesitant conversations, the awkward silences, the meals taken together and all those days just spending as much time in each other's company as possible, just to try and find that balance again.

Elsa was just vaguely aware of arms wrapping her into a tight hug, the warm scent of Anna washing over her. She tried to push the younger girl away but her body wouldn't obey. The words of protest against the proximity came out a jumbled, incoherent mess.

"It's okay," cooed Anna gently. "It's okay. You didn't hurt me."

Her shoulder was wet, Elsa's back shuddering beneath her touch. The redhead cursed herself for ever being angry at the elder girl. To be completely honest though, it was rather difficult to control one's libido and temper at the same time. So when Elsa finally pulled away, the odd hiccuping heave still shuddering through her slim frame, Anna's libido decided that it'd had enough of waiting.

Locking her fingers into that unfairly soft head of hair, Anna pulled Elsa down into a kiss, ignoring the muffled yelp of surprise from her victim. As Elsa attempted a rather halfhearted escape, Anna deepened the contact, swiping her tongue over Elsa's lower lip before nipping sharply upon it to draw a groan of desire.

As suddenly as it had come, the kiss ended. Dazed, Elsa watched Anna rush from the room, her mind still foggy with need. Brushing fingers against lips, she had the decency to flush.

"Oh dear…"

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Thanks for reading mates. Cheers.


	5. Chapter 5

Leaning back in my chair, I thought about writing. The concept was tempting, like my personal brand of heroin. Except I had an aversion to drugs and I didn't like Twilight so I decided to go back to the 6 page essay that was due in 24 hours.

...Sorry for taking so long. Even though this chapter was already pre-written. My bad. Thanks for reading!

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"And then she-Kristoff are you listening to me?"

"No. No I'm not."

A snowball greeted the back of his head in a less than gentle fashion. Growling, he turned his wrathful gaze upon the unwelcome intruder in his sleigh.

It was a morning much like every other morning. The sun was shining, reflecting off the polished crystals of snow that blanketed the sleeping earth and blinding any foolish enough to stare directly at it. Upon awakening, the day had promised to be one of lazy relaxation and general comfort. Time however, told him that it would be a day that simply wouldn't past fast enough. Halfway through his morning breakfast, he'd been alerted by sharp rapping upon his door, a time where any decent individual would be in bed and not interrupting people's meals. The blond sighed wistfully. It had been such a good day before the redheaded spitfire showed up.

The intruder glared right back, her cheeks puffed out in anger at his lack of attention. He dragged her from the sled by the scruff of her neck. Shaking her slightly, Kristoff grimaced as he was assaulted by loud angry yowls and flailing limbs.

"Anna, if you're so angry with Elsa, go talk to her. Her. Not me. Her."

"You think I haven't?" snapped Anna. She thrashed briefly before falling limp. Sighing heavily, the fight drained from her veins to dissipate through the air. "I can't. I try…but…how do you even begin to talk about something like that?"

"Like what?" echoed Kristoff. "You haven't told me anything apart from how angry you are and how stupid Elsa is and how stupid you are which I already knew anyways."

Dropping the girl in an unceremonious heap, the blond man returned to his previous task. He scrubbed hard at a particularly stubborn stain upon his sled. It refused to budge, clinging even harder to the gleaming surface. Glaring menacingly at it, Kristoff continued to scrub, refusing to use the brush for fear of scarring his precious ride.

"Why don't you," he said between grunts of exertion. "Just-why is this not coming off-just talk to Elsa? Corner her or-I swear to gods this is ridiculous-or something like that, it's what you're good at. Hand me that brush will you? No, not the hard bristles, the soft one. Thanks."

Anna watched him at work. Crawling back into the sled, she slid down the seat in a oozing slump and groaned loud and long. When a reaction from her companion was not immediate, the girl repeated her lament, so very alike that of a dying walrus which was sure to be a most grievous insult to all walruses, alive or dead. There was silence, filled only by the sound of scrubbing and angry mutters.

Time passed, the noise continuing to taint the air. Unable to take it any longer, Kristoff hurled his brush to the ground.

"Alright," he ground out. "What do you want? You want to talk? Fine." He fell into the space beside Anna and glared angrily at the stain still leeching upon the crimson red of the sled. "Talk. Now."

Startled, Anna opened her mouth and closed it again. She stared at her shoes, intent upon the curling maze of dark brown stamped upon the leather.

"It's…nothing I guess. Well not nothing. Sort of. But it's not something if that's what you're thinking. It's nothing."

She didn't entirely lie. It really was nothing. That is to say if nothing meant that she had seduced her sister in a drunken state, her sister had seduced her in an also drunken state and during her sister's awakening the next morning she had kissed said sister in a fit of frustration and now their interactions were nothing if not exceedingly awkward. Obviously that would be best left unsaid. There were entirely too many parts of that narrative best left unheard, unsaid, unknown and Anna's life would currently be infinitely easier if all her previous actions could be undone. Now Kristoff sat beside her looking grumpier than she'd ever seen him for reasons unknown and the girl's mental state was undergoing a revolution rivaling that staged by the French.

"It's really is nothing," she repeated, as though repetition of the sentence would make the statement true.

"Well if that's all there is…"

Kristoff moved to exit the sled.

"Wait wait wait, no that's not all!" Anna lunged, clinging onto his jacket hem. She slumped, face mashed into the cold wood seat.

"I'll tell," she said, her voice muffled.

Rustling noises signaled the burly iceman sitting back down onto the seat. A large mitten-clad hand plopped onto the head, squashing her head lower.

"Right, at the risk of you castrating me, I'll tell you that Elsa came to me a while ago asking for a tour of Arendelle from a 'new point of view'. I dressed her as a guy, also her idea and we went to a bar. Then I took her back to the castle."

Pausing momentarily, Kristoff braced himself, ready to run the instant his manly assets were threatened. When no attack came and his audience tugged briefly upon his coat as though prompting further explanation, Kristoff continued.

"She was completely hammered so maybe she said some stuff or did some stuff and that's why you guys are fighting. But you should probably talk it out. Because I'm not some kind of physician and it's annoying when you guys keep bothering me when I'm trying to get things done."

"Hey!"

Anna punched him in the shoulder.

"And I thought you were being so nice and helpful for a second there."

Kristoff snorted, rubbing his shoulder. For a moment, he entertained the thought of telling Anna about what Elsa's confession that fateful night in the sled. _She deserves to know…_ The tiny voice in his head sounded awfully like Grand Pabbie, making it all the harder to ignore. The news he had wasn't his to tell.

"I'm not being helpful," he retorted. "I'm trying to get the two of you off my back. I can't get a moment of peace like this."

"We'd probably get lost trying to make our way our," said Anna, an impish grin on her face. "You're even hairier than Sven."

Leaning back into the seat, Anna plucked at a stray string escaping from her mittens. The silence between them was comfortable, despite the metaphorical ship that tumbled and rolled about in her heart. The thoughts and worries flooded her bloodstreams, turning rivers into seas that roared and whipped themselves into a ship-killing frenzy.

"Hey."

Warmth and the pungent scent of reindeer mixed with hay and straw pressed against her as Kristoff wrapped her in an awkward one-armed hug.

"It's going to be okay," he said, favouring her with a lopsided smile. "You hunted her down through a snowstorm, froze into ice and saved her then came back to life and taught that two-faced bastard a serious lesson. Whatever's going on is going to be a snap."

"Yeah right," Anna muttered rebelliously.

Kristoff released her but didn't move away. She was thankful for his presence, a solid (if slightly smelly) rock of comfort. In that instant, her mouth betrayed her silence, troubles rolling off her tongue in a fashion reminiscent of newborn puppies, all gangling limbs and over-sized paws, climbing and falling over one another to be the first out.

"Do you think…I mean, if there was a person, who isn't real but just hypothetically speaking. If there was a person who got drunk…not me but just imagine that there was a person who got drunk and they did and said some stuff that they really regretted. Not to anyone in particular but let's say that it was to someone they were really really close to, like they were so close that they were like siblings. Not really siblings but like siblings. And not that either of these people are real but if they were and one of them did some really…um…well…intimate stuff to the other one and then a whole bunch of things happened and now it's really awkward between them because they were already really close but in a different way and now because of the intimate stuff that happened there's a lot of feelings going around that aren't really right and…"

She trailed off, uncomfortably aware of the eyes trained on her. Gathering the remaining wisps of courage, she forced out the last words teetering on the tip of her tongue.

"What would you suggest they do…or something like that…"

There was no satisfactory answer that wasn't a blatant lie and the painful truth was better left to hang above them in silence. Sitting ramrod straight, the pair gazed blankly at the scenery. It had lost its appeal, the white-capped branches sad and empty. Kristoff patted her shoulder before he climbing out the sleigh.

"I'll give you a ride back to the palace."

The ride back was quiet, Sven's hooves crunching through the thick crust of the snow before being muffled by the powdery whiteness below. Kristoff snapped the reins gently, glancing occasionally at the girl curled on the seat beside him with her head buried in her knees.

For the thousandth time, Anna wished. She wished that she'd never drank that wine, that she'd never said those things to Elsa, that she'd never kissed her sister. She wished that on the fateful night which had been the catalyst of all this, that she'd just been a little smarter and held back her feelings. Finally she wished that all of this would just disappear along with these horrible feelings that refused to go away. But deep down inside she knew it wasn't true.

_Liar liar pants on fire…_

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Thanks for reading mates. Cheers. I really am sorry.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey look, I updated. That only took forever, give or take a few infinities. Sorry for taking so long to update. If anyone is still reading this ish, you are to be congratulated and I would come and hug each and every one of you but it's raining outside and I can't be bothered to change out of my pj's. Thank you for reading and cheers.

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The sudden wave of warmth had been a welcome change from the bitter cold. With the snow still thick upon the ground, children frolicked to their heart's content, giggling gleefully as they pelted one another with snowballs and dodged their mothers' grasps as the slush seeped through their shoes and clothes. Men and women on their way to work picked gingerly through half-melted ice and slush, grimacing in distaste whenever a wrong step landed them in an icy puddle.

Along with the warmth came a sense of childish delight. Guards chuckled as they stomped about in heavy boots, tracing out patterns upon the snow. Snowmen clad in palace revelry peppered the grounds and it was all too obvious who their creators were from the frocks and weaponry that they wore or held.

Yet as fickle Fate would have it, the camaraderie felt by everyone else in the kingdom gave their royal majesties a wide berth, skirting around them as though they were slavering beasts that would explode into anger at the slightest touch.

"Their majesties seem a bit tense these days eh?"

The guard stretched. Ever since the queen's powers became common knowledge, and she had sworn to use them for the good and safety of Arendelle, the people of the kingdom wore that sense of safety like a chemise. Feeling rather unneeded, the guards relaxed, confident that none would be foolish enough to challenge their kingdom.

His companion shushed him quickly, smoothing his mustache as his eyes darted to and fro.

"Hush now, d'ye want her majesty to hear ye talkin' about them like that? T'will be a trip to the dungeons for ye, loudmouth."

"Relax mother. Her majesty's been drowning herself in work for weeks now. The princess' off gallivanting somewhere again with that ice-boy. 'Tis the stuff of all the gossip these days. My missus won't shut up about it."

"Ye shouldn't be talkin' o' that. Ye know that they 'ave denied all accusations of romance betwixt them. 'Tis foolish of ye to babble o' that like ye be some empty-'eaded housewife."

"Excuse me."

The icy voice lashed across them and they snapped to attention, throwing a stiff salute.

Elsa paused as she passed the guards standing post. She pursed her lips .

"Forgive me, but I do believe your duty is to stand guard, not to engage in idle chit-chat. Please do not make this mistake again."

She paused to let her point sink in.

"I will be in the practice courts if anyone asks for me."

The guards stood at attention, the tension in their taut frames stretched so tightly it quivered as the queen swept past. Long after she left, they kept their stance, fearing her return and possible wrath.

"I told ye that ye should not 'ave gossiped," muttered the second guard, his mustache barely moving as he slipped the words past parted lips. His companion scowled.

"Ah, shut yer trap. But 'tis odd for her majesty to be so tense after the princess' return."

The guard frowned at his talkative companion.

"Ye will keep yer thoughts to yerself. 'Tis not out place to speculate about such idle matters."

They fell silent, each absorbed in their own thoughts though both minds ran on parallel tracks. What had so troubled their illustrious ruler?

The first few arrows fell short or flew too far, falling uselessly to the ground. She knew her stance was wrong; her elbow was too high, the bowstring was pulled either too far or not far enough. Again and again she loosed the arrow, unaware of her mounting frustration until the bowstring snapped, frozen brittle with cold.

Disgusted at herself, Elsa stood trembling for a precarious moment, reigning in her control. Her fingers flitted over the delicate carvings in the bow limb, the rapid-fire scrabbling relaxing into a steady rhythm. The tremors ceased and she inhaled deeply before releasing the breath from her lungs in a great, gushing whoosh. Her muscles unwound, the creases between her brows smoothing out as she went to work replacing the bow with a new string and took up her stance once more.

Slim soldiers of wood tipped with feathers, the shafts marched a steady line towards the centre of the target. Lost in her thoughts, Elsa fumbled through the air at her waist and frowned as her fingers brushed nothingness. She'd emptied her entire quiver. Retrieving her arrows, the girl returned to her original position, pulled the bowstring to her ear and continued.

The ache in her overworked muscles had faded to a faint throbbing sensation that she was just barely aware of by the time she came to a halt. Dusky grey streaked the skies and the warm glow of fires being poked into life dotted the various windows of the palace. Elsa stretched, wondering if the kitchens would be empty enough for her to sneak down for her own dinner. Whatever time it was, she was sure that it was definitely past suppertime. Her stomach rumbled like an avalanche and Elsa winced at the noise, desperately relieved that no one was around to bear witness to what was a horribly embarrassing noise.

"You know," said a voice behind her. Elsa nearly jumped out of her skin. "I had to ask at least 10 different guards before someone suggested to me that you might be here in the practice courts."

"I was busy," Elsa said tersely. Her hair was still standing on end at the sudden shock of unexpected company and she hastened to calm her frantic heartbeat. She cringed internally as she saw Anna flinch as her harsh tone and almost apologized. No, she didn't need to apologize. There was nothing that she needed to apologize for.

Circling Elsa until she came to stand by the elder girl's side, Anna smoothed out her navy skirts.

"I missed you at dinner," she chanced hesitantly.

"I apologize for my absence. I was not aware that you had returned from your outing with Kristoff."

If the silence had been awkward before, it was now stretched to breaking point. Elsa took her time picking out an arrow, notching to her bow. Her muscles screamed in protest and she knew that what she was doing was ridiculous. The mature and logical thing to do would be to sit Anna down and clear the air between them. Elsa agreed but right now she needed to collect her thoughts and sift through the tangled mess that was her thoughts. She needed more time. Aiming, Elsa loosed the arrow.

Anna winced at the resounding thuds of her sister's target practice.

Common sense dictated that it would be wiser to pursue the issue of her romantic advances when anger wasn't rolling from the elder girl's skin in waves.

Stubbornness suggested that it would be beneficial to both parties if she persisted and addressed the issue right that second.

Basic survival skills made it very clear that talking to someone who was armed, angry and dangerous was not a good idea.

After a period of silent struggling, stubbornness was kicked to the gutter and stomped over a few times just for good measure. She retreated and stared around the small field. The ground, normally hard-packed dirt the colour of hay was dusted white with snow, reminding her of Gerda's famous gingersnap cookies. Her mouth watered at the thought of moist sweetness, tinged with just the right amount of spice and scattered with a pinch of confectioner's sugar. It was a solitary field, set a little ways from the larger practice field used by soldiers and servants and the placement had been specially requested; Elsa preferred to practice control over her skills without gawking onlookers.

"It makes me feel like a freakshow in the circus," she had replied once when Anna asked. "Or as though I'm some new, exotic species in the menagerie."

Elsa had then pulled a face, startling a giggle from her younger sibling.

"I'd prefer I don't provide my subjects any more reason to fear me than they already do," she had joked, a crooked smile tugging at her lips.

Anna wrapped her arms about Elsa's waist. "For what it's worth, I think you'd make a very good circus freakshow."

Her sister snorted and jabbed Anna in the ribs, hinting that perhaps a certain redhead might do well to cut down on midnight trips to the snack cupboard or she'd be in the circus for roundest princess in the world. The redhead retorted that the queen shouldn't be making judgments about other people's weight when a slight breeze could blow her away and that from now on her eating would be monitored until she was of healthy size.

"Why bother," quipped Elsa. "Surely you have enough weight to support both of us."

Those had been the times. If someone had told Anna a year ago that she would be facing the most complicated decision of her life, she would have laughed. What more could happen? She had faced down the worst fears of her life. Anything that Fate had to throw at her she could handle blindfolded with her hands tied behind her back.

The tiny voice in her head suggested that perhaps she wouldn't completely mind someone other than Fate having a go at her while she was in that condition. Anna hushed it. Now was neither the time nor place to let her desires run wild and free as she had a suspicion they might be transfixed on the business end of an arrow if they did. She glanced around the field. A crate contained an assortment of battered practice weapons ranging from lances to swords. It, like many of Anna's memories, belonged to a happier and comparatively carefree time when the sisters weren't avoiding one another like the plague in a woefully useless attempt to sort out the implications of their actions. She approached it, pulling free the practice sword amidst a clatter of wood. Its weight pressed comfortably against her palms, the wood cold and grainy.

"That was yours."

"Huh?"

Elsa had lowered her bow. She jerked her head at the sword in Anna's hands.

"That belonged to you. I believe it is the one you used in your lessons with the weapons master."

So it was. Its weight was more familiar now with this piece of knowledge. She shifted, fighting against imaginary enemies, a brave warrior in puffy gloves and furry cloak. Her sword swept the air with a flourish as she brought it to a halt. Slow clapping greeted her performance and Anna bowed, dipping her body exaggeratedly low.

"Glad to see that you have not lost your touch. You always were the more talented of us with weaponry."

Anna flushed at the unexpected compliment.

"It's nothing," she mumbled. "It's not as though we've had any reason to use these things for ages now. Well, not ages, maybe just a couple of years. Besides, I mean, everyone's too scared to-" She trailed off at the look on Elsa's face. "Anyways, I'm the princess so it's not like I'm going to fight anyways. I just like knowing how to use them. It's fun. And it's not like they'll run out of ammunition halfway through a fight. Unless my arm gets cut off or-I'm rambling again aren't I? I'm just going to be quiet."

Elsa nodded gravely. "I suppose you are correct in that assumption. But I'm quite sure you'd be a force to be reckoned with if you did take part in any fight."

The two girls stood smiling awkwardly at each other. Anna coughed, breaking the odd but not entirely uncomfortable atmosphere. At least she no felt as though her life might be in danger. Now was as good a time as any to address the issue at hand.

"Elsa, I was just wondering…um…"

She hesitated, her courage wavering briefly.

"So what's the situation between us right now? Are we in love or were we just drunk or something like that."

It occurred to her that things that sounded good in one's mind didn't necessarily always come out the same way verbally.

Elsa unstrung her bow, carefully ravelling the string and placing it into a small pouch. Her gaze was focused on her work, her voice monotone and almost careless when she replied.

"It was a momentary lapse of judgement due to the negative effects of alcohol consumption. That is to say, it was nothing and we were inebriated."

The chill in the wind had returned, piercing Anna to the bone with biting cold though she barely noticed as Elsa met her eyes once more. Her gaze was stern and icy as she issued her final words on the matter with the haughty authority of a magistrate sentencing a criminal to his death.

"There is nothing between us Anna. We are sisters and that is all we will ever be. Any and all actions that have transpired between us were the results of too much alcohol. They will not happen again. I do not wish to hear of this matter, am I understood?"

Elsa fought to keep a stiff upper lip. She forbade her from thinking back to the way Anna's lips had felt upon her own, from remembering that first night of Anna's intoxicated seduction and the twisted emotions that roiled and snarled inside her breast when she was informed that Anna had left on a week-long trip with Kristoff as though to avoid seeing her. The expression on her sister's face was almost too much to bear but Elsa stood her ground. She knew what was best for Anna and what was best for the both of them. Anything she had felt or did feel had a scientific and logical explanation that did not involve love, romance or sexual desire towards her younger sibling and that would be the end of the matter. She stared Anna down until the other girl lowered her gaze and nodded grudging consent.

"Good," said Elsa. "I'm glad that we had this talk."

Turning on her heel, she strode off towards the castle. She told herself that this wasn't running away, that she was just in dire need of sustenance from missing several meals and that once the day's events had blown over she would talk to Anna again and they would be just like they were before.

Now if she could just convince herself that these were true, everything would be just perfect.

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Thank you for reading. Sorry for taking forever.


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